Digital Nuance, Public Discourse, And Public Approval: The Steady Decline Of "Having A Dialogue"

Digital Nuance, Public Discourse, and Public Approval: The Steady Decline of "Having a Dialogue"

Being on the internet as someone who operates from a place of nuance and complexity as opposed to simplistic and impulsive knee-jerk reactions feels like being a masochist because there's so much you could say but it would take too long to write out and mostly fall on deaf ears.

It also doesn't help that although there are many people out there that are happy to have these complex discussions, you're much less likely to find people who are capable of doing so in a way that doesn't convey the idea that the only perspective they're open to is theirs.

This mentality is not just aggravating to deal with as someone who wants to contribute to these discussions, but actively drives people away from having them, which is incredibly counterintuitive given how much stress and importance is constantly placed on speaking on issues.

This, if anything, calls into question why stress is even placed on having discussions about any topic. If there's supposedly only one right view and thus solution to an issue, why even start a dialogue in the first place? To talk in circles? Unless, they're not that simple...

It's a rare occurrence, but my faith in humanity is slightly restored whenever I see what could've easily turned into a heated argument about a topic beautifully and amicably resolve itself with each party respecting each others views without attacking them.

Though, I feel like the concept of "ratioing" people is what holds us back from these occurrences happening. I can't help but feel that people on the internet are less concerned about actually defending their argument, and more about whether other people will back it up.

Saying this, I can already hear people defending ratioing because of how it supposedly "puts people in their place" and makes them feel shame for what is mostly agreed to be the morally or intellectually incorrect way of analyzing a topic.

Again though, why should the focus of having an opinion be attempting to "prove" that it's the so-called "right" one through public approval which is also nothing more than simply a larger group of people's opinions?

I love how the mentality that's been pushed lately on social media has been one of "being in your you era" or "entering your villain era" or worst of all "not owing anyone anything" which, as I've mentioned in a previous post, is nothing more than the same hyper-individualistic self-isolation, and apathetic mindset that many gymbros participate in that's simply being repackaged and marketed femininely as "self-care".

Meanwhile, and not to sound like I'm "not like other girls", the mindset I've been in has been one that's completely the opposite in which I seek to strip myself of any and all egoistic tendencies, while simultaneously looking towards those who are very talented and skillful but are low-key and humble about it as inspiration for what I one day aspire to be.

I wish there were more fart scenes in entertainment similar to the two from Bio-Dome where Bud and Doyle guess what each other ate before to make their farts smell like that.

Similarly, I wish that more scenes, along with those that currently exist, better conveyed the idea of people being disgusted by how shameless a character's display of flatulence is.

I can imagine a scene that's like a fusion of the "Back at Cha!" one from White Chicks, the two from Bio-Dome, and the many instances of Scooby and Shaggy gorging on food, where you have two or more guy friends sitting in some sort of eatery adjacent establishment, and they put their skills of being "fart connoisseurs" to the test, much to the dismay of the public around them.

The context of the film, along with how far the screenwriters wanted to lean into the idea that these characters aren't at all concerned with how they're perceived, would determine the setting, along with how increasingly annoyed of a response people around them would have.

For instance, for a film following a character who gradually outgrows his slacker best friend from childhood, you could have a flashback sequence of all the shenanigans they've been through.

One of said experiences would be the two ordering a bunch of food at an upscale restaurant, getting really stuffed, and then, in a mockingly posh accent, guessing what they ate while the patrons around them become more angry leading to them being thrown out the restaurant.

Another scenario I can think of this being used would be if we are meant to align ourselves with these characters — despite how uncouth they are — against the antagonist of the film.

You could have them sabotage their very important individual performance such as a recital or a musical/play by having these two characters take turns farting whenever the antagonist tries to perform, with the farts getting louder with each attempt they make to try to perform again until they are eventually laughed off the stage.

The children may yearn for the mines, but they also yearn for a "Espresso" by Sabrina Carpenter, "Say So" by Doja Cat, '70s-adjacent, Barbie-inspired pop track that transports them to an imaginary land filled with nothing but pool parties and beach trips where the temperature never dips below 70, never reaches past 85, no humidity, and everyone sips on endless iced drinks.